The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita, "The Song of the Lord", is the best known of all the Indian scriptures, and Easwaran's reliable and accessible version has consistently been the best-selling translation. Easwaran's introduction places the Gita in its historical setting and brings out the universality and timelessness of its teachings. Chapter introductions give clear explanations of key concepts in that chapter.

Autobiography of a Yogi

When Autobiography of a Yogi first appeared in 1946, it was acclaimed as a landmark work in its field. The New York Times hailed it as "a rare account". Newsweek pronounced it "fascinating". The San Francisco Chronicle declared, "Yogananda presents a convincing case for yoga, and those who 'came to scoff' may remain 'to pray." Today it is still one of the most widely read and respected books ever published on the wisdom of the East.

Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation

Prince Arjuna faces a dilemma that troubles many people sooner or later - whether to take action that is necessary but morally ambiguous. The difference is that Arjuna’s action is to wage war against his own family. With the armies arrayed, Arjuna loses his nerve. Krishna, his charioteer and incarnation of divine consciousness, begins to teach him about the nature of God and of himself. Arjuna learns that he can attain liberation through union with God, and that there are several possible paths to this goal.

The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita: Explained by Paramhansa Yogananda

Rarely in a lifetime does a new spiritual classic appear that has the power to change people's lives and transform future generations. This is such a book. The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita: Explained by Paramhansa Yogananda shares the profound insights of Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, as remembered by one of his few remaining direct disciples, Swami Kriyananda.

The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali: A Biography

Consisting of fewer than 200 verses written in an obscure if not impenetrable language and style, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is today extolled by the yoga establishment as a perennial classic and guide to yoga practice. As David Gordon White demonstrates in this groundbreaking study, both of these assumptions are incorrect. Virtually forgotten in India for hundreds of years and maligned when it was first discovered in the West, the Yoga Sutra has been elevated to its present iconic status.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are in themselves exceedingly brief, less than 10 pages of large type in the original. Yet they contain the essence of practical wisdom, set forth in admirable order and detail. The theme, if the present interpreter be right, is the great regeneration, the birth of the spiritual from the psychical man: the same theme which Paul so wisely and eloquently set forth in writing to his disciples in Corinth, the theme of all mystics in all lands.

Essence of the Upanishads: A Key to Indian Spirituality

Easwaran's classic manual is a unique source of practical spiritual support for new and experienced meditators, and gives all the instruction needed to establish a vibrant meditation practice and keep it going. In passage meditation, you focus attention on passages, or texts, drawn from all the world's sacred traditions. You choose the passages that appeal to you, so this universal method stays fresh and inspiring, prompting you to live out your highest ideals.

The Mirror of Yoga: Awakening the Intelligence of Body and Mind

The world of yoga is astonishingly rich in its array of schools and practices. Yet, as diverse as they seem, they share a common aim: the discovery of the essence of existence that can be found at the core of our being, and the liberation that comes from that discovery. With this worthy goal in mind, Richard Freeman presents an enlightening overview of the many teachings, practices, and scriptures that serve as the basis for all the schools of yoga - hatha, bhakti, jnana, karma, tantra, and others.

The Upanishads: A New Translation

The Upanishads are often considered the most important literature from ancient India. Yet many academic translators fail to capture the work's philosophical and spiritual subtlety, while others convey its poetry at the cost of literal meaning. This new translation by Vernon Katz and Thomas Egenes fills the need for an Upanishads that is clear, simple, and insightful - yet remains faithful to the original Sanskrit.

The Ramayana: A New Retelling of Valmiki's Ancient Epic - Complete and Comprehensive

Here is one of the world's most hallowed works of sacred literature, the grand, sweeping epic of the divine bowman and warrior Rama and his struggles with evil, power, duplicity, and avarice. The Ramayana is one of the foundations of world literature and one of humanity's most ancient and treasured ethical and spiritual works. Includes an introduction by scholar Michael Sternfeld.

The Lost Teachings of Yoga: How to Find Happiness, Peace, and Freedom Through Time-Tested Wisdom

It is estimated that more than 20 million Americans have practiced some form of yoga, yet almost none of them have heard of yoga's early teachers or their insights. While we are familiar with yoga's physical benefits, the original purpose of yoga as a path to inner freedom and enlightenment is embodied by only a few students in the West. Now yoga scholar Georg Feuerstein immerses you in The Lost Teachings of Yoga, the first comprehensive audio curriculum about yoga's original spiritual wisdom and practices.

Seven Secrets of Shiva

Shiva, 'the destroyer' among the Hindu trinity (of gods), is depicted in many contradictory manners. He is an ascetic who wears animal skin, his body smeared with ashes. Contradictory to his wild nature, he is also depicted as having a family, with a beautiful wife and two children. There are many more such varied representations of Shiva, the most prominent of these being the Linga and the Nataraja. The author, Devdutt Pattanaik, introduces the readers to these varied aspects and representations.

Easing into the Bhagavad Gita and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras

This simple introduction to both the Bhagavad Gita and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is a gentle way to ease into these ancient texts. Crafted for use in Hatha Yoga studios, teacher training programs and experiential classroom venues, students will find the language of the book friendly and engaging while teachers will find a rich offering of dialogue-encouraging questions and activities to enrich the learning experience.

Why Buddhism Is True: The Science and Philosophy of Enlightenment

From one of America's greatest minds, a journey through psychology, philosophy, and lots of meditation to show how Buddhism holds the key to moral clarity and enduring happiness. In Why Buddhism Is True, Wright leads listeners on a journey through psychology, philosophy, and a great many silent retreats to show how and why meditation can serve as the foundation for a spiritual life in a secular age.

Love, Service, Devotion, and the Ultimate Surrender: Ram Dass on the Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is a gem so precious in India's spiritual treasury that many regard it not as a volume of sacred verse, but as a living manifestation of the Divine. In the summer of 1974, inside a balmy Boulder, Colorado, warehouse that served as a main hall of a fledgling Naropa Institute, some say a minor miracle occured: The reawakening of the Gita's living presence, as it unfolded in a series of wisdom teachings led by Ram Dass.

The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada

The Yoga Sutra is the living source wisdom of the yoga tradition. Using it as a guide, we can unlock the hidden power of yoga, and experience the promise of yoga in our life. The Yoga Sutra is as fresh today as it was 2200 years ago when it was discovered by the sage Patanjali. It is the first practitioner-oriented commentary which is fully grounded in a living tradition. By applying its living wisdom in our practice, we can achieve the purpose of life: lasting fulfillment and ultimate freedom.

The Bhagavad Gita

The search for higher truth must be conducted in the midst of the forces of life, with all its demands and seductions. So teaches The Bhagavad Gita, an ancient text that has been called the quintessence of the spirituality of India. In it, the great warrior Arjuna contemplates the meaning of life, just moments before entering the battlefield. "Why do I exist? Why should I fight against my loved ones? And where shall I go after I die?" he asks himself in search for knowledge of the Absolute.

Yoga Chants: Deepen Your Yoga Practice with Authentic Sanskrit Chant

Perhaps no one is more qualified to offer a program on the practice of both yoga and chant than Richard Freeman, who lived in India for nearly a decade mastering Sanskrit chant and how it can complement and enrich the practice of yoga. Now he shares the fruits of his intensive study with Yoga Chants, an instructional program on the authentic meaning, precise pronunciation, and yogic application of traditional Sanskrit chant.

Publisher's Summary

The Bhagavad Gita has been called India's greatest contribution to the world. In this audio version of his classic book The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners, Jack Hawley makes its wisdom clear to Western seekers.

I liked that the speaker was clear. However, I did not like the speaker's repetitive overemphasis.It made the delivery seem cloying. A professional reader should have been used.At various points the reader made Sri Krishna sound almost condescending. That is not at all a part of Sri Krishna's attitude.

Did The Bhagavad Gita inspire you to do anything?

The Gita is very inspiring, elevating. It prompts the reader to self-examination and improvement.

Any additional comments?

All in all the "translation" and delivery mar the grandeur, intellectual depth and expansive spirit of the original work.Though I think the author/reader made a noble attempt, with good intention.

I really loved this. The author reads his own work here, and he does a very good job. He has a pleasant voice that seems suited to the material. It is not a literal translation word-for-word, more like a distillation in modern English and with the intent to explain the Bhagavad Gita to westerners in particular. He explains the concepts and some of the vocabulary, which I found helpful. There is a sort of soundtrack to the reading, which I did not find intrusive and which I actually thought added something to it - I liked it - but I think some people may find it distracting, so listen to a sample before you buy it. Overall the sound quality was pretty good; I heard papers rattle occasionally, but I became so interested in the material itself that I stopped noticing it if it continued throughout the book. I would recommend this work to anyone who is interested in learning about the Bhagavad Gita or in world religions and beliefs. As soon as I finsihed it, I started it again, because there is a lot to it, and I was fascinated. I wish I'd found this when it was first produced.

While difficult to date, the Bhagavad Gita is generally accepted to have been written well before both the Christian Bible as well as the Buddha. Some place it as far back as 4000 years or more. Academically, it is not generally dated that far back, though. Its relevance to the present day is that it supposedly contains universal truths.

People can believe what they want to believe and it makes little difference to me. This review being written in a supposedly Christian nation, however, my personal opinion is that all Christians should be required to read the Bhagavad Gita at least once in their life. Why? The carefully crafted version of history that was -- and still is -- spoon fed to Christians is that anyone in ancient times that wasn't a Christian was sacrificing babies on alters. That Christians think they have a monopoly on The Truth is somewhat of an understatement.

That said, "The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners," by Jack Hawley, would make a fine choice for a first time reader. The audiobook, read by the author is superb, as well. I normally cringe a little bit when I see an author read their own book, but in this case, Hawley did a great job. I can't imagine the book being read by anyone else.

The amazing thing about this translation is that it speaks to you as if it was written last week, not thousands of years ago. And just what wisdom can be found in these ancient texts that is relevant to today?

Note the following words on diet and eating:

[K]now that there are subtle elements in food that significantly influence the mind ... Tamasic people eat old, overcooked, stale, tasteless, impure, and dead food with no nutritional value.

As of this review, America is second only to Mexico as the most overweight nation in the world. We are looking at the fruits of eating old, overcooked, stale, tasteless, impure, and dead food. Our hospitals overrunneth. By just moving away from America, you could cut your risk of cancer by up to 200%.

A few years ago, U.S. News and World Report used an independent panel of 22 experts to rank the best diets. Many were surprised that the Raw Food Diet won second best weight-loss diet (a raw food diet is a nutrition plan that is based on uncooked, fresh and live...mostly plant-based foods).

Even more surprising is that thousands of years ago, the hazards of eating dead, overcooked foods was not only known, but written about. And here I was thousands of years later being surprised something that old is still relevant. It's almost as if I stumbled upon a universal truth or something.

Anyway, whenever I think about Bhagavad Gita, I'm always reminding of the movie The Razor's Edge, with a very cold Bill Murray sitting in a hut somewhere on the Himalaya mountains, while on his vision quest. At some point, he became so cold that he ripped the pages from the old copy of the Upanishads he was reading and used them to build a small fire. Maybe I'm wrong, but I always took that to mean that he figured out: there is only so much you are going to get from a book.

I think at some point, the spiritual was supposed to be experienced, not simply read. The Bhagavad Gita should be read, but don't let it be the end of your journey...

For something as complex and historied as the Mahabarata, it is fantastic to hear a clear and educational version of the Bhagavad Gita. The assistance in understanding terminology is very helpful throughout. The personal anecdotes add a significant value to the overall experience as well.

As a Christian lay person I doubt I would have had the time or the energy to properly study the Bhagavad-Gita in direct translation. While I can't say with authority I do believe that this walk-through gave me a good sense for the scripture. There is much to be appreciated in this ancient wisdom.

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the true classics, and I was so looking forward to this. However, the background noise of music that is poorly mixed relative to the message kept interfering with the narrator's voice.

The voice was weak enough that they should have gotten a professional narrator instead of hearing the author grate on. The mix though was so wildly inappropriate it gave me a headache. What could and should have been a joy was ruined by these very poor production judgments.

Please re-record this book with a narrator with a resonant voice who has a sense of how how ro read for an audience...and by all means, lose the annoying background noise!

I arrived to this version of the Bhagavad Gita after listening to many other audiobooks of the book. Without doubt this version provides the deepest understanding of the Bhagavad Gita. Good sound quality of the recording done by the author, who obviously is passionate about the book.

Highly recommended.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

ms

9/12/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"brilliant way to hear the message"

really well told, recommended by Eckhart Tolle and so worth listening to. my need was for this sort of translation and was prompted by a simple explanation by tolle of what chapter one is really about. thank you

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Musical Truth

Lancs

9/28/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"A great listen to a genuine voice."

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. The Bhagavad Gita is an excellent story and contains some profound wisdom. It is striking how some of it is very similar to biblical proverbs and stories about Jesus too. I love that Mr Hawley has narrated this himself too. It is a testament to his passion for the subject matter and this comes across in the reading. The quality of the audio is not 100% but it is engaging and I found no issues with clarity or diction. The touch of reverb was a nice change too.

I would much rather this than yet another dry, compressed nauseating voice actor.

What did you like best about this story?

The way the dialogue between Arjuna and Krisna plays out echoed how much of my own thoughts and questions would evolve if I were playing the role of Arjuna.

Which character – as performed by Jack Hawley – was your favourite?

Arjuna.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

To kill or not to kill - is that the question?

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Sarah B Yoga

Spain

9/27/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Not great"

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

Way too casual and chatty. Too dumbed down, rambling and almost patronising. Seemed to be made up as he went along in parts. I'm sure there are more succinct and engaging audible commentaries on the Gita out there. I gave up after less than 20 minutes.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Koko

UK

4/25/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"A lot of ancient wisdom but a bit laborious."

I can see where the roots of Buddhism have come from in the Gita. This is an incredible text, well read and beautifully translated.

Like many Eastern texts though there can be lots of lists of very wordy concepts which tend to over-egg the pudding. It could be even more concise in my opinion.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content

If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.